the piano
The Piano (1993) directed by Jane Campion can technically be categorized as “chick flick”. The protagonist Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter) is a strong female character who overcomes obstacles in an attempt to preserve her music, and eventually finds love against all odds. The emotional struggles, stereotypes, and the themes present within the film could all fit within the parameters commonly used to distinguish a “chick flick”. However, the power and importance of The Piano far exceed the usual role of “chick flicks” in modern cinema.
The Piano is an unusually poignant film. Campion’s discussion of gender roles and human emotion is truly remarkable. By silencing her protagonist she forces her audience to reach inside themselves and discern their own feelings in order to understand and rationalize the characters before them. Instead of having Ada tell her audience what to think Campion forces her audience to come to their own conclusions about the situation she presents to them. Although Ada’s story itself is fairly simple, a basic love triangle, the way it is presented is startlingly original.
As a female writer / director Campion insight into the thoughts, emotions, and motivations of her protagonist that only a woman could understand and reveal. As a female artist she can draw from her own experiences and perspectives. Although the males presented in the film seem to dominate over Ada, she seems to posses a much more controlling role within the story. Campion makes sure to establish the gender roles of men and women in 19th century New Zealand, but though her development of Ada she shows how could women empower themselves.
Ada seems to control her world by clinging to her piano, one of the few familiar things in her strange new home in New Zealand. Her piano becomes a form of communication, a beautiful form of expression that rises above language; music that seems to flow from her soul. Her music binds her to George Baines (Harvey Keitel) while at the same time segregating her from her husband (Sam Neill). In a way the piano itself becomes an extension of Ada herself. A symbol of her captivity; a fact highlighted by Campion’s setting. Ada and her daughter (Anna Paquin) are separated from everything they had ever known. Oceans, forests, and even rain seem to force them inside their lonely home. These are physical barriers that seem to develop the sence of solitude and independence within the film. They help to create a tangible emotion that radiates from the film itself; one cannot help being moved by the ache of Campion’s setting. The piano is so foreign here, out of place, and only by letting it go could Ada begin to start her new life. The only way for her to live was for Ada to put to rest everything she had loved and know, the piano was her past. A lesson that everyone must learn at some point.
The Piano is an unusually poignant film. Campion’s discussion of gender roles and human emotion is truly remarkable. By silencing her protagonist she forces her audience to reach inside themselves and discern their own feelings in order to understand and rationalize the characters before them. Instead of having Ada tell her audience what to think Campion forces her audience to come to their own conclusions about the situation she presents to them. Although Ada’s story itself is fairly simple, a basic love triangle, the way it is presented is startlingly original.
As a female writer / director Campion insight into the thoughts, emotions, and motivations of her protagonist that only a woman could understand and reveal. As a female artist she can draw from her own experiences and perspectives. Although the males presented in the film seem to dominate over Ada, she seems to posses a much more controlling role within the story. Campion makes sure to establish the gender roles of men and women in 19th century New Zealand, but though her development of Ada she shows how could women empower themselves.
Ada seems to control her world by clinging to her piano, one of the few familiar things in her strange new home in New Zealand. Her piano becomes a form of communication, a beautiful form of expression that rises above language; music that seems to flow from her soul. Her music binds her to George Baines (Harvey Keitel) while at the same time segregating her from her husband (Sam Neill). In a way the piano itself becomes an extension of Ada herself. A symbol of her captivity; a fact highlighted by Campion’s setting. Ada and her daughter (Anna Paquin) are separated from everything they had ever known. Oceans, forests, and even rain seem to force them inside their lonely home. These are physical barriers that seem to develop the sence of solitude and independence within the film. They help to create a tangible emotion that radiates from the film itself; one cannot help being moved by the ache of Campion’s setting. The piano is so foreign here, out of place, and only by letting it go could Ada begin to start her new life. The only way for her to live was for Ada to put to rest everything she had loved and know, the piano was her past. A lesson that everyone must learn at some point.
posted by Anonymous at 11:53 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home